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| According to staff the process for hiring the Fire Chief is underway and the eventual successful candidate will be hired sometime shortly after the new year. This is good news as solid leadership is DESPERATELY NEEDED! |
One of the county positions for which I have advocated the loudest and for which others have as well is the Escambia Fire Chief position.
We currently have this position filled with an interim, temporary placeholder. In fact, it's been going on two years since our last permanent Fire Chief, Rusty Nail, left the job shortly after taking the job in the first place after a lengthy search the county conducted.
And since this time, this has been the position I believe we most desperately need filled.
I've stated the fact bluntly--stated it publicly at meetings and privately to staff: There is a total and complete lack of leadership in that department right now---in part I believe this is due to the lack of a fire chief, a leader.
We need strong, competent leadership in that role and this has been absent for many years now. Too long.
And in the meantime--unprofessional conduct has been tolerated. And what is tolerated is condoned. What is tolerated and condoned becomes behavior and culture that is embraced.
But this is going to get corrected, and this is going to get fixed.
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| Eventual 3rd place finisher, BCC candidate signs were found in ECFR station 6 in August--in violation of county ordinance-resulting in a letter of reprimand for one ECFR Battalion Chief.... |
--We will fix the unprofessional and deliberate violation of County Policy regarding political signs on Public Properties and in Public Fire Houses.
--We will fix the unprofessional and deliberate efforts to "run-off" well-trained and perfectly capable volunteers--several blatant instances of which are being investigated as I write this.
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| Imagine the fantasy world where an employee is asked a direct question for which he knows the answer regarding an investigation and such an employee responds by saying to his boss "I know the answer, but I won't tell you!" |
--We will fix the rampant abuse of sick leave by the practice (of which I have been appraised) where 24 hour employees (who accrue sick leave at a high rate) and who legitimately become disabled subsequently have been allowed to "transfer" to a 9-hour billet during their period of disability in order to burn 9 hours of sick leave for each day missed--instead of 24 hours--saving themselves big money on eventual sick leave payouts upon separation. This practice is ending immediately, by the way. (But the fact that it was allowed to happen at all DISGUSTS ME!)
--We will fix the shift-swapping buddy-buddy histrionics which allow some personnel to accumulate long shifts at the overtime rate--maximizing their personal salaries to the detriment of other employees
and the taxpayers---when the utilization of other personnel would allow for coverage at a reduced rate by other personnel and at a savings to the budget (aka taxpayer money).
--We will fix these and many other issues related to lack of leadership of which I am not at liberty to disclose. But believe me on this, it will all get fixed.
So, with this all in mind, at a recent 2-hour meeting at Public Safety with Janice Gilley, Jason Rogers, Alison Rogers, Debbie Bowers, and myself this past week-----this and many other topics related to ECFR--to include their CBA which we are working on---were discussed in great detail.
This is going to be a special, intense area of focus for me in my next 48 months as commissioner. We simply MUST get control of this department--budgetary, leadership, equipment, efficiency, and morale. And we will. I can say that with confidence.
But it starts with getting the right leader in the job. We need a leader with a proven track record of leading a busy department, managing budgets, managing a combination department, and managing a department that desperately needs a cultural "attitude adjustment." Desperately.
So I asked for an update on the search for our new fire chief, as the position has closed.
I asked for the list of names of those who applied, and I received a list that has 60 names on it. I recognized a lot of the names, many current personnel have applied. I see names on the list that have no business applying for this job and that couldn't do the job if hired to do so-------in my opinion only (full disclosure-I have no play in the hiring, I'm not on the committee, and as a board member I won't have a vote on this).
Because this is the preliminary, initial list--I have agreed not to publish it and I won't--even though it is a public record.
I'm told that this list has been checked and re-checked, and many of the initial applicants do not meet the qualifications. 16 others that may not necessarily meet the specific qualifications must be interviewed under Federal Law due to their status as Armed Forces Veterans. Still others have not been fully vetted. Interviews will start for the applicants that make the cut, starting this month.
I'm told we will wrap up the interviews for this position and hire a chief sometime next month.
Good---it cannot happen soon enough so far as I can tell.
22 comments:
I'm still extremely disappointed and wary of Janice Gilley dropping the qualifications and pay down on the Fire Chief role Commissioner Bergosh, and it might be a fatal flaw to the process that results in us not getting a candidate of the caliber we really need to provide the necessary leadership in that department.
Of course the Board cannot influence this hire, but that's on a particular level. When Janice got up to her typical nepotism hijinks and dropped the qualifications and pay so she could have the option of shoehorning in another Friend Hire, the BOCC could have, as policy makers, said publicly "WHOA--nope, back to the drawing board on that job description." There wouldn't have been anything illegal or unethical about that, correct? But for some reason uncomfortable but necessary discussions don't have have a way of making it onto the agenda any more.
I love the fact that Janice and HR stalled me out on my public records request for the advertising for the position until the listing closed. Just the kind of barely legal and sometimes downright illegal messing around with public records that people have come to expect under Janice's takeover of the public records system. From the moment I heard of the "reform" she was implementing on the PRR process, I recognized it was a disaster, and that she would use iron fist control to (1) make sure that she knew about every single request that came to the County; (2) decide which records get released and which don't; and (3) lord it over County employees and her own employees to pressure them to play all the typical games with not releasing records in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner. (And, of course, the County Attorney's office isn't much better, and is a willing participant in Janice's schemes, with the exception of having some small interest in state statute--and not just how to skirt it--every once in a while.)
So here we are. Unless Ms. Gilley were terminate by the Board tomorrow for her ridiculous listening device stunt--which she should be--we could very well be stuck with another imperative role filled because of his associations with Janice into the way-back machine and his Northern County affiliations.
And even if the public attention that back-door maneuvering received has a chilling effect on her initial plan, there is zero way that the citizens of this County received all of the applicant interest that we would have if she had simply kept the job description as it stood. Oh, and nobody believes the explanation for why that she hauled out during your commissioner coffee. We all know why: so she can continue to surround herself with layer after layer of bootlicking bureaucracy that lets her micro-mismanage the County while always being able to argue she has no accountability.
Without that scenario fixed, and fast, in the coming weeks, it won't matter who gets hired as Fire Chief or anything else at the County. Escambia's function and processes have already tanked to such a dangerous degree since she arrived last summer that a lot of it is irreparable in the near future. Rather than allowing her to run amok with another chance to screw up an important hire, we ought to be focused on trying to hire back all of the institutional knowledge she has fired or chased out the door since she arrived. Otherwise, her tenure will become a 10 or 20 year problem to solve rather than being at least 5 years to turn around Escambia's cumulative administration problem as it exists today.
--Melissa Pino
http://www.northescambia.com/2020/12/fdle-confirms-escambia-county-administrators-office-was-bugged-illegally
In alphabetical order, the 60 applicants for chief of Escambia Fire Rescue are:
Michael A. Aaron
Daniel Augustus Akerman
William D. Austin, Jr.
Michael Joseph Bailey
Christopher L. Balassone
William D. Beaty, Jr.
Greg Benson
James C. Bird
Richard C. Bode
Joshua E. Brown
John G. Brubaker
Roger Keith Burton
Raymond W. Canafax
Craig Carr
Donald S. Collins
Clinton Cooke
Larry James Couch
Thomas H. Croteau
Richard Shannon Draper
Walter G. Ebbert, IV
Mark Ellis
Ian Emmons
William Ervin
John P. Flick
Christopher Michael Gerwick
Jeremiah A. Gilley
Joseph A. Glover
Christopher L. Hatch
James A. Hinton
Walter H. Hower
Trenton D. Kleinow
Dale Kyrouac
Joshua D. Luke
Greg W. Main
Jerry L. Marrison
Brian D. Mayo
Stephen W. McBride
Robert McGilloway
Robert D. Metzger
Thomas J. Moran
Michael C. Morton
Michael P. Osman
James Pribble
John R. Schleicher
Blain A. Schumacher
Randall E. Sides
Jeffery H. Sinclair
Daniel R. Spillman
Ellison L. Stearns
James A. Stillwagon, II
LeAnn Tacon
James W. Tobin
David M. Torsell
William D. Vinyard
Michael J. Vogel
Jason G. Wallace
Loren Shawn Whittington
Robert L. Wirtz
Maurice A. Witt
Scott Wolfe
https://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/321B47083D80C4CD8525791B006A54E3
tortious interference
Tortious interference is a common law tort allowing a claim for damages against a defendant who wrongfully interferes with the plaintiff's contractual or business relationships.
Intentional interference with contractual relations
At common law, a defendant is liable to pay damages in tort for actions intended to interfere with the plaintiff's contractual relations with a third party.
In an intentional interference claim, the burden is on the plaintiff to prove the elements of the claim rather than on the defendant to prove that its acts were justified. To prevail on the claim, plaintiff must prove four elements: (1) that a valid contract existed, (2) that defendant had knowledge of the contract, (3) that defendant acted intentionally and improperly, and (4) that plaintiff was injured by the defendant’s actions. United Truck Leasing Corp. v. Geltman, 406 Mass. 811, 812, 551 N.E.2d 20 n. 6 (Mass. 1990).
https://www.highconflictinstitute.com/hci-articles/who-are-high-conflict-people
You’re absolutely right. The leadership in the county sucks. It sucks because people like you are running it. You’re a horrible leader and you’re bringing the county down to the ground. Why would you want to get rid of shift-swapping in the fire department? Just about every department has it and it’s no problem. You’re just trying to find another reason to pick on the firefighters who protect and serve the county with the little pay that they make. Sounds like you’re stuck in the 60s.
Also I’m sure there’s no one running the volunteers away. The volunteers just can’t do the job like they preach they can. You need to stop drinking the volunteer kool-aid and visit a REAL fire station where the career guys can show you something. You sound ridiculous and it’s an embarrassment that you got re elected for more years.
I don’t know who’s on the Fire Chief list but for you to say some of them are unqualified because you think so is absurd. Nobody wants to hear you weak opinions. I’d be embarrassed to live in Pensacola because I’d have to introduce you to someone to you and tell them that you’re a county commissioner. You must’ve wanted to be a firefighter and got butt hurt when you figured out you couldn’t do the job. If that’s not true then do a ride along at one of the stations to see what the life is all about instead of trashing the guys that’s risking there lives. You’re embarrassing lol. Instead of worrying about ECFR, worry about what the county needs and do you’re job
Mayberry: Nobody said anything about getting rid of shift swapping--learn to read and comprehend before you think or write--this way you won't look so ignorant and out of touch, okay? What we're getting rid of is the abuse of this practice by those who've been allowed to "game" it to their advantage and against the economic interests of the taxpayer. Do you know what this means? And I don't "pick" on people...what, are you in middle school? And your assertion about pay is inaccurate; Let me help you: go look up "employee wages" at myescambia.com in the search bar then narrow the search to fire PD----and you will see what these employees make here in Escambia County Fire--many, many over 6 figures....So yeah, you're glib. And yes Mayberry--there are documented cases of good, well-qualified Escambia County volunteer firemen being mistreated, pushed around, and run out by the dozen by some career personnel--one such instance is being investigated as I type. Don't worry though--it is going to get fixed as well. Finally: I have never had any desire to be a firefighter--not for any particular reason it is just not a direction I wanted to go. Had I wanted to though, Mayberry, I would have and I would have excelled at it. Believe that. And heck, at age 52--- I'd even be retired by now with a full-pay pension had I done that!! But no, never wanted that. So I'll continue working into my late 60s or early 70s like the vast majority of the constituents I serve do--you know, the ones that pay for this fire service and expect it to be run efficiently. This said- of course I have done a ride along though...actually rode with one of the guys on the list for chief a couple of years back. And I've been to all the stations in my district personally, each one. That's how I found out that one station in Ensley (not in D1) was filled with the campaign signs of my opponent in my last race--the candidate the fire union guys loved, the guy I ended up crushing like a roach in the election by 17 points--putting him in 3rd place. And I'm told when the interim, temporary assistant chief asked the crew in that station about who it was that did it in violation of policy---they didn't say after first trying to pin it on a former employee that left. And this led to a written reprimand of a battalion chief. D'oh! Leadership is lacking just as I've outlined in this post--every bit of which is factual--unlike what you have written which is gibberish (complete with poor grammar) and inane, personal ad hominem attacks. Learn to write better, and perhaps one day you will be taken seriously Mayberry. :)
64% of the voters in D1 didn't vote for you. You "crushed it" alright!
How is a sign political when it was found AFTER the election?
Want to really increase moral of ALL county employees- resign. Stop meddling in other districts concerns, as if those Commissioners can't handle their own issues. I'm sure you'll play the "the citizens reached out to me" speech, but save it and do what you're supposed to by referring them to the appropriate person, not trying to put another feather in your improper fitting hat.
How are your other investigations going? Not so good huh...solidarity is not really one of your strong points when the employees push back.
How many times are going to claim "investigations" yet dont produce the findings? Haven't you already investigated the volunteer mistreatment? If Selover was investigated that much, you'd say it was harassment. I guess this one doesn't fit that narrative.
Only 38% voted for you. Not a convincing victory. Great batting average though. D'oh!
You found out about the sign after a paid-on-call ff "discovered" the sign AFTER the election and sent it to you. D'oh!
Shift swaps are being used to help a Fireman who suffered a recent tragedy. He sure is gonna make out on the taxpayers dime, boy howdy! D'oh!
Compare hours worked to the six figures. Compare that to your hrs worked and your salary, vehicle, travel expenses, and don't BOCCers receive free/reduced healthcare after office?
You sure have a keen interest in how the department is run by yet only rely on a single source of bona fide info. You rode with one person on the list. Nice! You still have no idea how the FD operates or why and what services they offer.
Keep swinging, you'll hit something eventually.
P.S. I'd like you to verify about the healthcare question. I'm sure taxpayers would love to know the answer as well. It's interesting to think that working a part time for $80k/yr, vehicle, perks and retiring after 8 yrs would garner those benefits.
P.S.S. shift swaps don't allow someone to work OT. Again, ask the right people for the right information.
It's also so professional of you to refer to the current FC as a "temporary placeholder". Way to boost morale and support your subordinates. This is why 38% was good enough for you. Coffee is ready by the way.
I wonder if Jason Rogers would talk to you off the record...
I'm sorry for the medical difficulty in Mr. Rogers's family and wish him and his family well in health matters.
The following comment has nothing to do with Mr. Rogers in particular or his performance during his brief tenure as our Public Safety Director:
**There is zero way that the Fire Chief hiring should proceed given these circumstances.**
Although the BOCC of course can't interfere in hires and fires, as the policy makers they certainly can make determinations as to *how* a hire is conducted, and its proper parameters, and in this instance they certainly should.
While some things move very slowly at the County--such as the public records request on the advertisement for the role that I wasn't provided with until just after it closed--it sounds as if the winnowing for this role is happening very quickly.
For months, Ms. Gilley's argument for why there was no Fire Chief was that we had to get a Public Safety Director firmly in place. Now the Public Safety Director is leaving, and we're trying to get a Fire Chief in place before he goes. Makes no sense at all, unless Ms. Gilley plans on leaving Eric Gilmore as the head of Public Safety, which was her rumored intention to begin with, until some people called foul on sliding him over from EOC.
Whatever the case, this spells one thing, and that's more chaos for our first responders and other employees of Fire and EMS. Let's not fool ourselves that another of Ms. Gilley's half-baked searches will result in a full-baked solution for what ails these departments. The employees and the citizens of Escambia deserve better than that. We've been patient long enough for Escambia Administration to get its act together on solving the leadership crisis that is contributing to our current Public Safety crisis.
--Melissa Pino
You want to blame everyone but yourself, you don't tell the whole story or whoever is giving you information is straight up lying to you. You're the definition of a toxic leader. If you backed off and let the fire chief do his job everything would be great. Y'all have ran off many great fire chiefs because your leadership is terrible. Every chief that has been ran off has been very successful wherever they went. You can blame whoever you want but the common denominator is you.
Toxic Leadership Characteristics
Toxic leadership often causes employee dissatisfaction, low productivity, interdepartmental conflict, stagnant innovation, and a high turnover rate.
Unfortunately, in many organizations toxic leaders are a painful but undeniable reality. With their destructive behavior patterns and dysfunctional interactions, they create a disillusioned and demotivated workforce.
So how do you spot a toxic leader? Here are some of their common characteristics.
1. Arrogant
Toxic leaders are very boastful and arrogant. They think that they are always right, and expect others to accept their word as gospel truth. They extend no help to others, and they hate it when someone else dares to correct them, especially if that someone is a subordinate.
2. Autocratic
A toxic boss does not want any opinion other than their own to be heard. They expect others to quietly follow their every direction, without ever questioning the direction. A toxic boss often fancies themselves as the top dog or a self-styled king, and their behavior is often reflective of that. Employees are minions, lesser beings who exist only to do the leader’s bidding.
3. Irritable
Perhaps not surprisingly, toxic leaders also come across as highly irritable. They do want to be bothered for anything. Since they are not open to other ideas from anyone else, they despise being asked questions and avoid it as much as possible. Under a toxic leader, the organization becomes stunted because of the lack of innovative and free-flowing ideas.
4. Maladjusted
Beneath the tough and arrogant veneer of a toxic boss is an ill-tempered child who is mortified of change. They are highly inflexible, and take changes very hard. The toxic boss is likely to be the most vehement opponent of any changes in the organization.
5. Lack of confidence
Though they act supremely confident, a toxic leader has no confidence in themselves. Consequently, they also find it extremely difficult to trust team members. Because of this lack of confidence, tough problems are often ignored or swept under the carpet.
6. Incompetent
A toxic leader may think that they are the best, but they are incompetent and may often struggle to make even the most commonsensical decisions, or do the simplest of tasks. Their sense of importance and usefulness only comes from criticizing others, and making them out to be less than they really are.
7. Hierarchical
Without the rigid structure of hierarchy, toxic leadership will wither and die. If you’re under a toxic leader, you will often feel the pressure of the corporate power structure above you. A toxic leader is adept at controlling team members using hierarchy and seniority.
8 Unrealistic expectations
Toxic leaders are notorious for setting objectives that are unfair and unrealistic. Team members struggle with unachievable goals, and get demoralized. Workload piles up, and the company becomes set up to fail.
9. Symbols of personal authority
These symbols include first right to common parking spaces, complete access to everything, and perhaps even studding the entire workplace with their own portraits and stories of accomplishments.
Today I made an appearance downtown
I am an expert witness, because I say I am
And I said, gentleman, and I use that word loosely
I will testify for you
I'm a gun for hire, I'm a saint, I'm a liar
Because there are no facts, there is no truth
Just a data to be manipulated
I can get any result you like
What's it worth to ya?
Because there is no wrong, there is no right
And I sleep very well at night
No shame, no solution
No remorse, no retribution
Just people selling T-shirts
Just opportunity to participate in the pathetic little circus
And winning, winning, winning
Anonymous and "Coffee no Commissioner": Wow, looks like I really got under your skin posting the facts---which drew an immediate ad hominem attack. Not surprising, and actually quite predictable. But no, no--by all means do not mention the despicable lie you told on social media which was unfair to the family of a victim in the recent fire. Liars. You intimated we didn't have enough resources when you know we were on that scene with 7 trucks and 69 personnel with the first unit showing up 2 minutes after being dispatched. Resources and availability had MOTHING to do with that, and you know it. Why use the victim of a tragedy as a tool in your quest at the bargaining table? Despicable, reprehensible, and unacceptable. Now let's talk about the next unprofessional thing you are doing with your vehicles ----taking them to the garage purposely when the smallest, slightest, tiniest little thing is wrong--minor issues that could be easily repaired on scene at your stations or that are so minor they do not require the garage. But no--try to swamp the garage then use this as fodder online in your quest at the bargaining table. Just weak. Your leadership has led you down the wrong path, it is sad to witness. Guess what though? We are ready and waiting at the table. And just so you know, I am going to take a special interest in this new contract. I'm going to be meticulous, detail-oriented, and relentless in pursuit of efficiency. Get ready. And oh, one last thing. A riddle for your edification: What do you call the candidate in a four man race in a Republican primary election (where less than one-third of eligible voters participated) who got the most votes of the four (by a BIG number of votes and a large percentage)? Answer: Commissioner is what you call that person. :)
Anyone who ties their duty to protect the citizens to their pay check, through a union is no hero. Make no mistake, most of the police and fire fighters are honorable and serve the community as that is their calling in life. Obviously, you must be paid for your work to support a family. But, when your only goal is a higher paycheck, you need to work in the private sector. Public sector work pays less, but usually has better retirement.
A casual review of salaries in Escambia County reveals highly paid fire fighters with great benefits and the best work schedule imaginable. As a fully retired military man, I know the mistake, financially, I made not being a police officer or firefighter in my home town. No deployments away from home, not as dangerous and better pay and retirement.
I am sick of the cry babies in public service. It must be the younger generation of post Vietnam veterans crying about pay. They are weak and selfish. Video game
playing weaklings. I fear for the future of our country with weaklings like the union leaders of our fire fighters.
They’re no facts in your comments Bergosh. Maybe it’s because you get one sided stories... just a thought. When you pay firemen what they should be paid, maybe you wouldn’t see these overtime rates. 60% of Escambia firemen have part time jobs to actually support their families. It’s not just the fire department though. Let’s take a look at EMS. Look at the EMS schedules at night. Do you how many trucks we have protecting us citizens? Look at tonight’s schedule. And poor dispatch. They apparently get their rear ends handed to them. From former employees, the leadership is as toxic but no one communicates about that. The majority eligible voters didn’t vote for you. Another true fact. Let’s hear the real truth and not the one you dream up sir. Public Safety is failing and sinking fast. Get the real truth and you can fix the real problems. Have a peaceful night knowing there’s only 5-6 ambulances on the road at night! Also have a peaceful night knowing that 911 might not pick up the phone due to understaffing. Have a peaceful night knowing you should’ve been talking to the actual boots on the ground because the leaders in these departments are failing miserably because they only know the “good ole boy” system. Not the “right” system. Sleep well!
They receive full pension benefits for 8 years of service while high risk employees (Fire, EMS, and Sherriff) have to put in 8 years to even get vested
One of the FF said you get full pensions (100%) for 8-years service. I doubt that as everyone would run for these jobs if you got to retire with 100% salary after only 8-years. I love Urban legends. I had a friends son who was a volunteer and he was treated very poorly and disrespected by the full timers. They did not want him around and made it clear he was taking a job away from a potential full timer. I do not like growing government, but unions like to grow government and wreck innovation. That is why I do not trust public unions.
Anonymous 6:50 needs to put down the crack pipe. Elected officials do not receive a "full-pension" after 8 years. This is a lie and I suspect this person knows it. In reality--both elected officials and public safety employees must have in FRS 8 years to be vested. And public safety employees accrue a per-year percentage calculation that is higher than the elected class, senior executives, or regular employees---which is appropriate given the risk associated with what they do.
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